Tigers Acquire Tyler Nevin, Designate Zach Logue

The Tigers have acquired infielder Tyler Nevin from the Orioles, in a deal announced by both teams.  Baltimore will receive cash considerations for Nevin, who was designated for assignment earlier this week.  In a corresponding move to create roster space, the Tigers have designated left-hander Zach Logue for assignment.

Nevin made his MLB debut with a six-game cup of coffee in 2021, and then hit .197/.299/.261 over 184 plate appearances and 58 games with the Orioles last season.  Most of Nevin’s playing time came at third base, though he also saw action at first base and both corner outfield slots.  Defensively, Nevin isn’t considered a standout in the field, and his limited work at third base (-5 Outs Above Average, -4 Defensive Runs Saved, -1.5 UZR/150 over 327 1/3 innings) was graded poorly by public defensive metrics.  Nonetheless, Nevin might factor in as at least a part-time option for the Tigers at the hot corner, given how Detroit non-tendered Jeimer Candelario earlier this winter.

It has been a relatively quiet offseason thus far in the Motor City, as new president of baseball operations Scott Harris has been seemingly been taking his time in assessing a roster that almost entirely underachieved during a disastrous 2022 season.  The Tigers’ moves have been mostly focused around pitching (trading Joe Jimenez to the Braves and signing Michael Lorenzen and Matthew Boyd), though several position players have also been on the team’s radar.  Like most of those names, Nevin is also a multi-positional player, and can provide bench depth at multiple areas around the diamond.

The 25-year-old Nevin was selected by the Rockies as the 38th overall pick of the 2015 draft, and he has posted some solid numbers in the minors.  With the Orioles’ Triple-A affiliate in 2022, Nevin hit .291/.382/.479 with seven home runs over 191 plate appearances, which helped earn him multiple looks at the big league level.  Today’s trade also continues the Nevin family’s history in Detroit, as Tyler’s father Phil (now the Angels’ manager) played with the Tigers from 1995-97.

Logue’s tenure with the Tigers lasted just over a week, as Detroit claimed the southpaw off waivers from the Athletics just on December 23.  One of the four players sent by the Blue Jays to the A’s as part of the Matt Chapman trade last March, Logue made his MLB debut in 2022 and posted a 6.79 ERA over 57 innings (starting 10 of 14 games) for Oakland.  Those struggles extended to the minors with an 8.12 ERA in 78 2/3 innings with Triple-A Las Vegas, and thus Logue became an expendable piece for the A’s when the team finalized their deal with righty Drew Rucinski last week.